Senior Party and State Council officials yesterday urged authorities to effectively deal with public complaints in a bid to alleviate growing social conflicts as the country heads towards a market-oriented economy.

Wang Gang, a member of the Secretariat of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) and State Councillor Hua Jianmin urged timely action by government officials at a national meeting on petition work.

"The job (of timely and effectively responding to complaints) is essential because it is of importance to the public's interests, a harmonious society and solidifying the position of the CPC as a ruling party," Wang told nationwide heads in charge of bureaux of letters and calls.

Petition in China is called "xinfang," including letters sent and visits made to the authorities especially to various-level governments and Party organs when the interests of the public are infringed. They must be taken seriously and acted upon, the officials said.

In the planned economy, the mechanism of "xinfang" is essential way to solve complaints along with the court system.

Despite increasing appeals to courts for solutions as China becomes more and more market-oriented and opens up, many Chinese seek help from the government and Party offices when their legal rights are encroached.

However, some local officials do not properly deal with complaints lodged, and the problems are elevated by the public to higher-level authorities or even the central government for solutions. Some even spend all their savings or borrow money to travel to provincial capitals or Beijing to protect their interests.

"Various-level governments and officials should always bear in mind the interests of the public and try hard to solve problems at the very beginning," said Wang.

In south China's Guangdong Province seen as a pioneer in dealing with public complaints many bottlenecks exist. But officials are encouraged to learn from the complaints.

Hua required the officials in charge of complaint-lodging and solving to ensure a smooth channel, which links the public and governments at various levels.

(China Daily February 4, 2005)